Photos by Ariel Adams
Among the 11 new Seamaster watches that Omega recently launched to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the collection is a Summer Blue rendition of its fan-favorite Diver 300M. Originally introduced in 1993, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M is easily one of the brand’s most famous models. In the three decades since making its appearance, the Diver 300M has firmly established itself within the industry and become a true cornerstone offering within Omega’s catalog. Just like the rest of the 75th anniversary edition Seamaster watches, the Diver 300M version is crafted from stainless steel and it features a Summer Blue colorway that sets it apart from the various standard-production versions of this highly popular dive watch.
Compared to many other famous dive watches that were created during the golden era of mechanical timekeeping, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M is a fairly new design. That has not stopped it from rapidly becoming one of the most recognizable dive watches in the world, however. Part of the Diver 300M’s widespread fame is certainly due to its distinct appearance, which features Omega’s signature twisted lyre lugs paired with a manually-operated helium escape valve protruding from the side of the case at the 10 o’clock position. However, an arguably far more significant factor behind why this watch is so well-known is that it was the watch worn by James Bond throughout the entirety of the Pierce Brosnan era, along with also appearing in a number of the subsequent Daniel Craig films.
Compared to Omega’s other dive watches, the Seamaster Diver 300M is easily the most dressy and refined .Despite this, it still offers a generous 300 meters of water resistance, along with all of the features that are necessary in order to be used for both scuba and saturation diving. While models like the original Seamaster 300 and Ploprof were designed long before the advent of digital displays and dive computers, the Seamaster Diver 300M was born after Omega had elevated itself to being a luxury brand, and it therefore offers a noticeably more elegant appearance compared to its siblings. Rather than just being a functional underwater timekeeping tool, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M has always been a luxury dive watch, and its refined styling provides it with a significant amount of aesthetic versatility, despite still maintaining its proper dive watch capabilities.
In terms of its core structure and functionality, the new 75th anniversary Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue edition is largely identical to its standard-production siblings, and this is ultimately a very good thing since the current generation of this model is widely considered to be a winning recipe. Just like the core-collection Diver 300M models, the case of the new Summer Blue edition is crafted from brushed and polished stainless steel, and it measures 42mm in diameter by 49.9mm lug-to-lug. It also features a signed screw-down crown at 3 o’clock and a conical knob for the helium escape valve sticking out from the opposite side of the case at the 10 o’clock position.
Rather than having a display caseback like the standard-production versions of the Diver 300M, the new 75th anniversary Summer Blue edition features a solid screw-down caseback that features an engraving of Poseidon holding a trident and being pulled by two seahorses. With that in mind, despite having a different style of caseback, the overall thickness of the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue edition comes in at the exact same 13.6mm as the core-collection models, including the domed sapphire crystal (with anti-reflective treatment on both sides) that slightly sticks up above the rim of the bezel.
Where the new 75th anniversary Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue edition differs the most from the core-collection models is in regards to its dial and bezel. The 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel is fitted with a gloss blue ceramic insert that has a fully demarcated 60-minute elapsed time scale with a luminous dot set within the inverted triangle at the zero marker. While the overall design of the bezel and its markings is the exact same as the standard-production versions of the Diver 300M, the timing scale on this new model is now finished in Summer Blue colored Grand Feu enamel to create an attractive tone-on-tone appearance.
Keeping with the tone-on-tone Summer Blue colorway, the dial fitted to the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue edition features a blue surface with blue-tinted Super-LumiNova appearing within the rhodium-plated skeleton hands and applied hour markers. Similar to the core-collection Diver 300M models, the dial is made from ceramic with a date window at 6 o’clock, and it features the model’s signature wave pattern engraved into its surface. However, rather than being a single color like the rest of the Diver 300M watches, the blue ceramic dial of the new 75th anniversary Summer Blue edition has been given a PVD gradient effect that darkens towards the outer edge to form a harmonious appearance with the dark blue color of its bezel. Additionally, rather than having bright red accents like the standard blue dial Diver 300M model, the new Summer Blue edition skips this rather sporty design detail and instead opts for monochromatic text.
Powering the new 75th anniversary Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue edition is the same Co-Axial Caliber 8800 automatic movement that can be found inside the standard Diver 300M models. Running at a frequency of 25,200bph (3.5 Hz) with a power reserve of 55 hours, the Omega Caliber 8800 is a METAS-certified chronometer, which means that in addition to keeping time within -0/+5 seconds per day (after casing), the Cal. 8800 is also resistant to magnetic forces up to 15,000 gauss. Although it features a standard quickset for the date display (rather than being able to jump the hour hand forwards or backwards like many of Omega’s other movements), the Cal. 8800 is still a significant upgrade compared to what was fitted to the previous generation of the Diver 300M. I had the opportunity to wear one of the standard-production models for several weeks, and I was ultimately highly impressed by the Cal. 8800, which ran well-within its specs the entire time, despite being on my wrist throughout a number of different strenuous activities.
Similar to the core-collection models from the Diver 300M lineup, the new 75th anniversary Summer Blue edition is offered with the option of either a stainless steel bracelet or a blue rubber strap. The bracelet and strap are more-or-less identical to what can be found on the standard-production watches. While the rubber strap follows a fairly straightforward two-piece design, it is incredibly well-executed and really should receive more attention. Although some people might lament that it features a standard tang-style buckle instead of a deployant clasp, the end-keepers on Omega’s rubber strap are actually deserving of a quick mention for their highly considered design. The secondary free-floating keeper includes a notch on the inside that locks into the tip of the opposite end of the strap to keep it flush against the wrist, while the integrated keeper by the buckle has a rigid internal core that extends all the way to the end of the strap, and this means that this often wear-prone point won’t rip or tear after extended use.
Although the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Summer Blue edition does come at a small premium of a few hundred dollars compared to its core-collection siblings, it is also the least expensive model among the 11 different Summer Blue Seamaster watches that were released to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the collection. With an official retail price of $5,900 USD when purchased on a rubber strap (ref. 210.32.42.20.03.002), or $6,300 USD should buyers opt for the stainless steel bracelet (ref. 210.30.42.20.03.003), the new Diver 300M Summer Blue edition costs several hundred dollars less than either of the three-handed Aqua Terra models and the vintage-inspired Seamaster 300 from the Summer Blue collection. Despite being an anniversary model, the new Summer Blue version of the Diver 300M is not a limited edition, although given that these eleven new Summer Blue edition watches are being released to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Omega Seamaster, they will likely have some type of limited window of availability. For more information on the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 75th Anniversary Summer Blue Edition, please visit the brand’s website.